Department for Transport

Transport: East Midlands

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a comparative assessment of the Government's per capita transport spending in (a) the East Midlands and (b) Lincolnshire in relation to other UK regions and counties in the most recent period for which that information is available.

Rachel Maclean: When comparing expenditure across regions several factors should be considered. The benefits from spend on transport interventions will often accrue to passengers far beyond the residents of the immediate local area or region. This is particularly the case for spending on the railways which connect cities and regions across the country and deliver broader benefits beyond the region concerned.During 2019-20 there was £289 of public expenditure on transport per head in the East Midlands, this compares to an average of £497 per head for the UK.As we look to level up our country, we are committed to further investment across the country. That is why this Government recently announced the £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund to provide the opportunity for local areas to bid for their priority investment projects. A further breakdown of spend in 2019-20 is given in this table, which shows identifiable public expenditure (in £s) on all modes of transport per head of population, by region. Region2019-20North East315North West438Yorkshire & the Humber309East Midlands289West Midlands492East of England470London882South East521South West329UK497 We do not make comparative assessments between UK counties but some recent examples of Government transport investment in Lincolnshire include: £54m in 2020/21 for routine road maintenance and small transport projects.£50m of Large Local Major funding towards the recently-opened Lincoln Eastern Bypass.A further £110m from the Large Local Major fund towards the North Hykeham Relief Road, which is currently in the detailed design and planning phase, prior to construction starting in the coming years.£13m of Local Growth Fund for the Lincoln Transport Hub – a new bus station and multi-storey car park opened in 2018.£3.6m from the Local Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund towards the current reconstruction of the A52 Roman Bank in Skegness.£900,000 from the Active Travel Fund in 2020/21 to improve cycling and walking facilities.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support demonstration trials of hydrogen-based steelmaking as part of the commitment to near-zero steelmaking by 2035.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government recognises the importance of research and development in helping to transform the steel sector so that it can play a vital role in developing a cleaner, greener economy in the UK. The Government has announced the £250m Clean Steel Fund to help the sector transition to lower carbon iron and steel production, and this could potentially include supporting hydrogen-based steelmaking. It is also providing up to £66m as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, to help key foundation industries, such as steel, develop innovative technology to reduce energy and resource use. The Government also plans to establish a Net Zero Hydrogen Fund (previously Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Fund): with £240m of capital co-investment out to 2024/25. This will support at-scale hydrogen production projects, allowing steel producers the potential to access to secure supplies of lower cost hydrogen. More broadly the £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio provides funding for low carbon technologies and systems to support decarbonising our power, homes and industry as set out in the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.

Redundancy

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the number of redundancies made from a pool of one; and what assessment he has made of whether such procedures are being operated fairly.

Paul Scully: Employers are only required to notify my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State if they are proposing making more than 20 people redundant. However, the Office for National Statistics produce detailed statistics on redundancies by industry and individual characteristics. There are laws in place to ensure that any redundancy process should be fair and reasonable with appropriate equalities considerations. Employees with the necessary qualifying service who believe that they have been unfairly selected for redundancy, or that the redundancy was unfair in some other way, can complain to an employment tribunal who will make an assessment. The Government publishes quarterly tribunal statistics, including on unfair dismissal and discrimination claims.

Products: Internet

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of strengthening consumer protections in respect of purchases on online marketplaces that are dispatched from within the UK but are serviced by overseas sellers that operate outside of UK law.

Paul Scully: The UK has a robust legislative framework to protect consumers. All businesses targeting UK consumers, wherever they may be located, must comply with this legislative framework. Consumers should report any problems to the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133, www.citizensadvice.org/. The helpline offers free advice to consumers on their rights and can refer on complaints to Trading Standards for appropriate enforcement action.

Free Zones

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the British Ceramic Confederation on the effect of Government policy on freeports on UK ceramic manufacturing.

Nadhim Zahawi: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has met with the British Ceramics Confederation (BCC) on a number of occasions and discussed a range of issues relevant to the ceramics sector.My Noble Friend Lord Grimstone has met with the BCC on 3 occasions since January. The most recent meeting was an Industry Roundtable on 8 March where EU Exit, COVID-19 and Net Zero were all discussed.Freeports were not raised in these meetings. The Government continues to engage on topics the industry deems to be of interest.

Hospitality Industry: Coronavirus

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reasons there will be a requirement when hospitality businesses reopen as covid-19 lockdown measures are eased that food and drinks must be ordered when seated in licensed premises serving alcohol in indoor and outdoor settings whereas in premises not serving alcohol customers will be able to order at the counter.

Paul Scully: As set out in ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021’, the step-by-step plan to ease restrictions in England published on 22 February, customers in hospitality premises serving alcohol permitted to open at steps 1-3 will be required to order, eat and drink when seated (‘table service’). This is to reduce the risk of transmission. Social distancing restrictions, including those affecting the hospitality sector, will be reviewed ahead of step 4.

Department of Health and Social Care

Food: Marketing

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's Tackling Obesity strategy, published in July 2020, what assessment he has made of the potential financial effect of bringing forward legislative proposals on imposing restrictions on the (a) promotion and (b) location of food products in shops on (i) small shops, (ii) medium-sized shops and (ii) shops located on high streets.

Jo Churchill: We carefully consider all views and potential impacts of our measures to reduce obesity. This includes feedback from a wide range of experts and stakeholders on specific policy proposals and in response to our public consultations. Micro and small businesses (fewer than 50 employees) are exempt from both the volume price restrictions and the location restrictions. Stores that are smaller than 185.8 square metres (2,000 square feet) (even if they are part of a medium or large business with 50 or more employees) will be exempt from the restrictions on location. The final impact assessments on the proposals to restrict the promotion of foods high in fat, salt and sugar by location and by volume is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/restricting-promotions-of-food-and-drink-that-is-high-in-fat-sugar-and-salt)

Eating Disorders: Health Services

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to improve the retention rate of (a) psychiatrists, (b) nurses and (c) psychologists in NHS eating disorder services.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The NHS People Plan delivery programme is helping National Health Service employers to value and retain their staff, including psychiatrists, nurses and psychologists working in eating disorder services, by making their organisations a better place to work and being a modern and model employer.   Priorities include investing in staff health and wellbeing, tackling workplace discrimination and promoting a more compassionate and inclusive workplace culture. This is aligned with work to increase the NHS workforce, reduce vacancies and release the pressure on existing staff. We are on track to recruit 50,000 more nurses and have record numbers of people currently in training to become doctors and nurses.

Eating Disorders: Health Services

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse per patient of delivering one round of (a) outpatient and (b) inpatient treatment consistent with NICE guidance for (i) anorexia nervosa, (ii) bulimia nervosa and (iii) binge eating disorder.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We have made no such estimate.

Eating Disorders: Mental Health Services

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional funding has been provided from the public purse to NHS eating disorder services in response to the effects of the covid-19 outbreak on eating disorder patients.

Ms Nadine Dorries: On 5 March 2021, we announced that that £79 million of extra funding will be used to significantly expand children’s mental health services. This additional funding will allow 2,000 more children and young people to access eating disorder services. In addition, on 27 March 2021, we announced that £58 million of this funding will be allocated to accelerate the adult community support to bring forward the expansion of integrated primary and secondary care for adults with severe mental illness, including eating disorders.

Eating Disorders: Health Services

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has held with (a) clinicians, (b) representatives of charities and (c) campaigners concerned with eating disorders on potential ways to improve the services available to people with those disorders.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Departmental Ministers and officials meet with NHS England and a range of stakeholders on a regular basis, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists, clinicians, charities and campaigners for people with eating disorders.

Eating Disorders: Health Services

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether a full cost analysis has been undertaken of how much it  costs NHS eating disorder services to adhere to NICE guidance on the treatment of eating disorders.

Ms Nadine Dorries: No such analysis has been made.

Health Services: Students

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NHS England on establishing student-facing health services set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.

Ms Nadine Dorries: NHS England and NHS Improvement are working closely with Universities UK via the Mental Health in Higher Education programme to build the capability and capacity of universities to improve student welfare services and improve access to mental health services for the student population. The ‘COVID-19 mental health and wellbeing recovery action plan’, published on 27 March, includes £13 million of additional funding will be provided to accelerate the improvements to mental health support for 18 to 25 year olds in the NHS Long Term Plan as part of the £500 million announced for mental health recovery. This funding will ensure services meet the specific needs of young adults, including students.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what initiatives he has supported to (a) target public health messages and (b) tackle vaccine misinformation to improve the take-up of the covid-19 vaccine among carers.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department has established an extensive communications programme to target public health messages and tackle vaccine misinformation to improve the take-up of the COVID-19 vaccine among carers. This includes bespoke communications materials shared on the CARE Workforce App; a weekly newsletter and via social media channels; a paid advertising campaign targeting social care workers with digital advertising to build vaccine confidence and encourage booking vaccine appointments; a stakeholder toolkit with resources for distribution by care providers and representative bodies; and positive messaging using influencers, health experts, faith leaders and social care workers who have already been vaccinated to boost confidence and tackle misinformation. We have also held briefings with faith groups, charities and care providers who have expressed interest in co-creating vaccine content and acting as ambassadors.

Dental Services: Elmet and Rothwell

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that residents living in Elmet and Rothwell constituency are able to access a NHS dentist.

Jo Churchill: The Department is working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement, the Chief Dental Officer for England and the British Dental Association to increase levels of service, as fast as is safely possible. In circumstances where patients are unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through a National Health Service dental practice, they are advised to call NHS 111 who will assist in booking an appointment at one of over 100 designated urgent care centres, which continue to stay open across Yorkshire.

Hepatitis: Prisons

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of funding the provision of hepatitis C diagnostic testing machines to prisons to (a) reduce the time between testing and treatment, (b) reduce the need for liver transplants, (c) make progress towards the elimination of hepatitis C and (d) related factors.

Jo Churchill: NHS England and NHS Improvement have offered testing machines extensively to trusts who lead the diagnosis and treatment pathways, including those in prisons. Some prisons have taken up the offer, while others already achieve excellent rates of testing with other methods. Furthermore, the High Intensity Test and Treat (HITT) programme have been implemented in prisons. HITTs involve partner services working together to offer testing to every person in prison on a short period of time. Those who are found to be positive are fast-tracked onto treatment, with a deadline of less than two weeks. The aim of the HITTs is the test at least 95% of the prison population, leaving prisons in a good place to achieve micro-elimination of Hepatitis C. Whilst these projects were disrupted during lockdown periods, several HITTs were able to take place during 2020. NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned prisoner peer support schemes, run by the Hepatitis C Trust. The peers provide information about Hepatitis C to those at risk and work to engage with each individual on their own terms and encouraging and support individuals in testing. Progress is being made towards the elimination of hepatitis C. Over 57,000 people have benefitted from new drugs which cure hepatitis C being made available on the National Health Service over the last few years. Up to 95% of those with a reported response to the treatment have been cured. Furthermore, death registrations for hepatitis C-related end-stage liver disease and cancer fell by 20% between 2015 and 2018, exceeding the 10% reduction by 2020 World Health Organization target. This is a direct result of the investment in hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) Public Health England and (b) its replacement the National Institute for Health Protection to tackle the covid-19 outbreak and future pandemics.

Jo Churchill: The Government has committed over £37 billion to support the essential work of NHS Test and Trace and Public Health England in tackling COVID-19. We have already brought this work together under unified leadership and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will be established formally very shortly.In addition, The Department of Health and Social Care has made available more than £6 billion to develop, manufacture and procure COVID-19 vaccines and continues to provide free personal protective equipment (PPE) to testing and vaccination centres to ensure frontline workers remain protected.Future resourcing for the UKHSA will be determined in the next Spending Review.

PHE Harlow

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to the support the delivery of public health solutions at the new public health science campus at Harlow.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support the delivery of the new public health science campus at Harlow.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the new public health science campus in Harlow will be supported with multi-year 2021 Spending Review approval.

Jo Churchill: The Government confirmed in 2015 its intention to proceed with development of the planned Public Health England science campus and headquarters in Harlow. This allowed the purchase of the site and considerable planning, design development and early enabling works to take place. Most recently, the 2020 Spending Review provided funding for the 2020/2021 financial year in excess of £120 million. Major construction could begin within a few months.Multi-year approval, and commitment to the delivery of the programme in full, will be considered in the light of the design work for the National Institute for Health Protection and the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learning Disability: Nurses

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking under the NHS Long Term Plan to increase the number of learning disability nurses employed in NHS trusts in England.

Helen Whately: In March 2020 the Chief Nursing Officer for England launched an 'All-England action plan for learning disability nursing'. The plan, delivered in partnership with Health Education England, sets a mandate for increasing and enhancing the number of people choosing a career in learning disability nursing.The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service figures for 2020 show a 20% increase in the number of acceptances to learning disability nursing courses in England compared to 2019. In September 2020, the Government introduced a new training grant of at least £5,000 a year for all eligible new and continuing nursing and midwifery and allied health professions students on pre-registration courses at English universities. There will be up to a further £3,000 to support eligible students including an additional £1,000 to support those studying a shortage specialism which includes new students on learning disability nursing courses.

Coronavirus: Schools

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of schools and colleges were provided with covid-19 tests for use on 8 March 2021 in England.

Helen Whately: On 8 March, 98.11% of secondary schools and colleges were provided with COVID-19 self -test kits and 98.5% were provided with on-site testing kits.

Coronavirus: Contact Tracing

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of covid-19 contact tracing is provided by (a) outsourced companies through NHS Test and Trace and (b) local authorities; and what assessment he has made of the performance of each type of organisation.

Helen Whately: To date, approximately 93% of all completed contact tracing has been provided by outsourced companies operating under NHS Test and Trace, 4% by NHS Professionals and 3% has been provided locally. Key performance indicators are included within the contracts with outsourced suppliers and these are monitored, measuring productivity and the quality and outcome of calls. Local arrangements differ between local authorities and no assessment has yet been made of the overall performance of the local system.

Coronavirus: Databases

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the value for money of awarding contracts to both BAE Systems and Palantir Technology for the creation of covid-19 databases for the (a) Joint Biosecurity Centre and (b) the NHS; and whether his Department made an assessment of the potential merits of creating one such database for both the Joint Biosecurity Centre and the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Whately: BAE Systems and Palantir Technology provided two pieces of software, Intelligence Reveal and Foundry. Management processes for each contract were defined at the outset in collaboration with the supplier. Overall performance, including value for money, is continually monitored through contract management meetings and performance reporting milestones aligned to the Government standards and best practice. Decisions on data assessment, storage and collection are yet to be confirmed. The contract with BAE Systems is to build the necessary data architecture, engineering and analytics capability to serve NHS Test and Trace, including the Joint Biosecurity Centre. Its scope is far wider in terms of National Health Service data and the analytics capability is more advanced than that provided by Foundry.

Coronavirus: Hospitals

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide an estimate of the staffing levels at each of the Nightingale hospitals.

Helen Whately: We have made no such estimate. Staffing of the Nightingale hospitals is managed by host trusts, and is based on safe staffing levels according to the number of patients requiring care and the type of care provided. This has meant that throughout the pandemic, staffing levels have fluctuated to ensure an appropriate number of staff are available at all times.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the limitations of vaccine passports for people who have been vaccinated against covid-19.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government will review whether COVID-19 status certification could play a role in reopening the economy, reducing restrictions on social contact and improving safety. This will include assessing to what extent certification would be effective in reducing risk and the potential uses to enable access to settings or a relaxation of COVID-19 secure mitigations. The Government will also consider the ethical, equalities, privacy, legal and operational aspects of this approach and what limits, if any, should be placed on organisations using certification. It will draw on external advice to develop recommendations that take into account any social and economic impacts and implications for disproportionately impacted groups and individuals’ privacy and security. The review will also include consideration of potential solutions for people to access their COVID-19 vaccination status.

Social Services: Reform

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has with Cabinet colleagues on a timetable for publishing proposals for reform of adult social care.

Helen Whately: The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on adult social care.  Delivering a care system that is fit for the future remains a top priority and following new measures set out in the Health and Care Bill White Paper, we will bring forward proposals for social care reform later in 2021.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of vaccine passports.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government will review whether COVID-19 status certification could play a role in reopening the economy, reducing restrictions on social contact and improving safety. This will include assessing to what extent certification would be effective in reducing risk and the potential uses to enable access to settings or a relaxation of COVID-19 secure mitigations. The Government will also consider the ethical, equalities, privacy, legal and operational aspects of this approach and what limits, if any, should be placed on organisations using certification. It will draw on external advice to develop recommendations that take into account any social and economic impacts, and implications for disproportionately impacted groups and individuals’ privacy and security. The review will also include consideration of potential solutions for people to access their COVID-19 vaccination status.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with a severe mental illness, including those who do not have a diagnosis of psychosis or bipolar disorder but whose illness causes a severe functional impairment, are correctly identified and invited for their covid-19 vaccination as part of JCVI Group 6.

Nadhim Zahawi: People with severe mental and their carers should receive an invitation from their general practitioner (GP) for their COVID-19 vaccination appointment. If someone is unsure if they have a severe mental illness which falls within the official definition, they are encouraged to contact their GP or mental health team. GP teams are encouraged to prioritise people with mental illness, applying a flexible approach to defining severe mental illness. For example, this could include people who are severely unwell with an eating disorder or a diagnosis of personality disorder.

Department for Education

Department for Education: Chief Scientific Advisers

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many meetings he had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from (a) 1 March 2020 to 31 May 2020, (b) 1 June 2020 to 31 August 2020, (c) 1 September 2020 to 30 November 2020 and (d) 1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021.

Nick Gibb: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, had meetings with the Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser on the following dates:(a) 4 meetings between 1 March 2020 to 31 May 2020(b) 3 meetings between 1 June 2020 to 31 August 2020(c) 0 meetings between 1 September 2020 to 30 November 2020(d) 6 meetings between 1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021It should be noted that key scientific evidence and advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and other sources is made available to the Secretary of State on a weekly basis.

Financial Services: Education

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of provision of financial education at a primary education level; and if his Department will make an assessment of the potential contribution of Global Money Week to improving that provision.

Nick Gibb: It is important that pupils are well prepared to manage their money, make sound financial decisions and know where to seek further information. The Department has introduced a rigorous mathematics curriculum, which provides pupils with the knowledge and skills to make important financial decisions and has also published statutory and non-statutory programmes of study for mathematics and citizenship that outline what pupils should be taught about financial education from Key Stages one to four. In 2014, for the first time, financial literacy was made statutory within the National Curriculum as part of the citizenship curriculum for 11 to 16 year olds. To enable schools to plan their whole curriculum, the Department has also published a non-statutory citizenship curriculum for Key Stages one and two, stating that by the end of primary education pupils should be taught how to look after their money and realise that future wants and needs may be met through saving. In the primary mathematics curriculum, there is a strong emphasis on the arithmetical knowledge that pupils should have. This knowledge is vital, as a strong understanding of numeracy will underpin pupils’ ability to manage budgets and money. There is also some specific content about financial education, including calculations with money. Primary schools are free to include additional content on financial management in their curricula, including working with external experts, however, the Department does not monitor this and trusts schools to use their professional judgement and understanding of their pupils to develop the right teaching approach for their particular context. The Department does not plan to make its own assessment of the contribution of Global Money Week to improving the provision of financial education at primary education level but will continue to work closely with the Money and Pensions Service and other stakeholders such as Her Majesty’s Treasury, to consider what can be gained from such initiatives and whether there is scope to provide further support for the teaching of financial education in schools.

Children: Literacy

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of thepotential merits of the aims of the Turn on the Subtitles campaignthat encourages television companies to provide subtitles on children's TV programmes as a default to help improve childliteracy rates.

Nick Gibb: The Government is committed to continuing to raise literacy standards, ensuring all children, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can read fluently and with understanding. By ensuring high quality phonics teaching, the Government wants to improve literacy levels to give all children a solid base upon which to build as they progress through school and help children to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.Turn on the Subtitles (TOTS) is a campaign to persuade broadcasters to turn on same language subtitles by default for children’s television (Key Stage 2 and 3). The Department has recently made an assessment of the evidence behind the TOTS campaign and the current evidence is inconclusive over whether turning on the subtitles improves children’s reading.It is the choice of parents and guardians whether their child watches television with subtitles on.

Educational Visits: Coronavirus

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when schools will be able to start taking pupils on residential trips as covid-19 restrictions are eased.

Nick Gibb: Schools are advised against all educational visits at this time. The Department has updated its advice to schools on the planning and booking of educational day and residential visits: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-coronavirus-covid-19-operational-guidance#educational-visits.It is in line with the Government’s roadmap to recovery, as set out in: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021/covid-19-response-spring-2021.

Remote Education

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the difficulties facing parents who are working from home and supporting school-age children with remote learning.

Nick Gibb: Attendance has been mandatory for all pupils of compulsory school age since 8 March 2021. There will be specific instances where an individual, small group, or class of pupils or students cannot attend school on-site because they are, for example, self-isolating or shielding in line with guidance or law relating to COVID-19.Where it is needed, schools are expected to provide as a minimum 3-5 hours of remote education depending on Key Stage. This includes either recorded or live direct teaching alongside time for pupils to work independently to complete assignments that have been set.We recognise that different expectations are appropriate for younger and older age groups when teaching remotely. We also expect schools to consider the remote education expectations in relation to pupils’ age, stage of development or special educational needs.We know this is a challenging time for parents, carers and children. This is why we have published guidance for parents and carers on remote education and how they can best support their child while educating from home: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supporting-your-childrens-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19. This includes resources and advice to help parents and carers on how to establish a routine with their child, and how best to support mental health and wellbeing during this period.Parents and carers should not feel that they need to set work for their child. If parents or carers feel they need further support or additional teaching materials for their children, they are encouraged to discuss this with their school or college first.In our guidance for parents and carers, we have provided links to some educational resources which parents may also find it helpful to be aware of, such as Oak National Academy, BBC Bitesize, LendED, and specialist resources for supporting children with special educational needs and disability with their remote education: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supporting-your-childrens-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

Education: Coronavirus

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page six of the guidance published by his Department in March 2021 entitled Face coverings in education, what reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils and students means.

Nick Gibb: The Department’s published guidance for schools to support the return to full attendance, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak. As our published guidance outlines, schools have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils and students, to support them to access education successfully. Schools must continue to meet equalities duties outlined in the Equality Act 2010. Guidance to help schools understand how the Equality Act affects them and how to fulfil their duties under the act is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/315587/Equality_Act_Advice_Final.pdf.

Maintained Schools: Collective Worship

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that a daily act of worship is taking place in every maintained school.

Nick Gibb: Every maintained school, academy and free school is required to ensure that collective worship takes place each day.If the Department is informed that a school may be in breach of this requirement, it will be investigated. Where needed, the Department will remind schools of their duty on this matter and advise on how this can be met.

Remote Education: ICT

James Daly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many laptops, iPads and other IT and broadband support has been given to schools and other education providers during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services, including making 1.3 million laptops and tablets available for disadvantaged children and young people. The Government is providing this significant injection of laptops and tablets on top of an estimated 2.9 million already owned by schools before the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.To date, over 1.2 million laptops and tablets have been delivered to schools, academy trusts, local authorities and further education colleges. We are making further deliveries on an ongoing basis, and any school that has not yet ordered their allocation of devices can still do so.Laptops and tablets are owned by schools, academy trusts, local authorities or further education colleges who can lend these to the children and young people who need them most, during the current COVID-19 restrictions.We have also partnered with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data to help over 30,000 disadvantaged children get online as well as delivering over 70,000 4G wireless routers for pupils without connection at home.We are grateful to Asda mobile, BT Mobile, EE, giffgaff, iD Mobile, IQ Mobile, Lebara, Lycamobile, O2, Sky Mobile, Smarty, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone for supporting the mobile data offer.

Pupils: Hearing Impairment

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that deaf children are not disadvantaged by the use of face coverings in classrooms during the covid-19 outbreak.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance he has issued to schools on ensuring that reasonable adjustments are put in place for (a) deaf and (b) other pupils who rely on lipreading or facial expressions when face masks or coverings are worn in classrooms.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the guidance published by his Department entitled Schools coronavirus (COVID-19) operational guidance, what specific evidence is referred to in that guidance in respect of the  effectiveness and safety of transparent face coverings; and if he will place a copy of that evidence in the Library.

Nick Gibb: The Department has published updated guidance for schools to support the return to full attendance, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak and here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education.As the guidance outlines, some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear, or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness, impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in schools and we expect staff and pupils to be sensitive to those needs, noting that some people are less able to wear face coverings and that the reasons for this may not be visible to others.Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.Our guidance on the system of controls and the use of face coverings in schools is informed by the latest public health evidence and advice from Public Health England. Schools should follow the system of controls as outlined in our guidance and put in place proportionate control measures that suit their individual circumstances, based on a thorough risk assessment. This should include making reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils and students to support them to access education successfully.The Department continues to provide information to the sector on our guidance, and any changes to it, through regular departmental communications. These additional precautionary measures will be kept under review and we will update guidance as necessary.

Ministry of Justice

Criminal Proceedings: Legal Aid Scheme

James Daly: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the criminal legal aid spend of his Department was in financial years (a) 2018-19, (b) 2019-20 and (c) 2020-21.

Alex Chalk: Statistics on legal aid volumes and expenditure are published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/legal-aid-statistics, and are updated on a quarterly basis. The most recent period for which data is available covers up to and including December 2020. Figures have therefore been provided for the three most complete financial years as well as the three most recent calendar years for which data is presently available. Data on the first three quarters only of the 2020/21 Financial Year is also available at gov.uk; figures for the complete financial year will be published on 24 June 2021.Table (xlsx, 14.4KB)

Funerals

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which Government Department has responsibility for the funeral and death care sector.

Alex Chalk: Through a cross-departmental Death Management Programme, the Government continues to provide strategic and operational support to those looking after the deceased and supporting the bereaved. This programme is currently led by the Cabinet Office working closely with the funeral and death management sector, local responders and government departments to ensure the deceased are treated with dignity and respect.The Government is considering, as part of its response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) ‘Funeral Markets Investigation’ into the operation of the funeral sector, the requirement for such structures once the immediate pressures from the pandemic have eased. The Government response to the CMA is being led by the Ministry of Justice.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Tajikistan: Religious Freedom

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support freedom of religion in Tajikistan.

Wendy Morton: The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. On a country level, Ministers and officials regularly raise specific cases of concern, and discuss practices and laws that discriminate on the basis of religion or belief. On a multilateral level, we work within the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance ('Alliance') and other international organisations and networks to promote and protect FoRB for all where it is threatened. The Minister responsible for Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, underlined the UK's commitment to FoRB for all in a number of international meetings in November 2020, speaking at the Ministerial to Advance FoRB and the Ministers' Forum of the Alliance. On 20 December 2020, the Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to FoRB by appointing Fiona Bruce MP as his Special Envoy for FoRB. Mrs Bruce represents the UK at meetings of the Alliance who work to advocate for the rights of individuals being discriminated against or persecuted on the basis of their faith or belief.

Venezuela: Press Freedom

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support freedom of the press in Venezuela.

Wendy Morton: We remain concerned about the increasing intimidation and harassment of the media by the Maduro regime. A statement by the Independent International Fact Finding Mission on Venezuela on 10 March stated that there have been 9 detentions of journalists, and the independent press since its last report in September 2020. We highlighted this issue at the UN Human Rights Council meeting on Venezuela in March, and signed up to the ministerial statement by the International Contact Group on Venezuela on 2 February, which called for an immediate end to repression and attacks on the media in Venezuela.

Turkmenistan: Religious Freedom

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support freedom of religion in Turkmenistan.

Wendy Morton: The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. Turkmenistan remains a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Human Rights Priority Country. Our 2019 Human Rights Report and a subsequent statement by the Minister responsible for Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, in November 2020 highlighted our concerns over the imprisonment of a number of conscientious objectors to military service, which included Jehovah's Witnesses. Officials in London have met with The European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses to discuss freedom of religion or belief across Central Asia.Lord Ahmad also underlined the UK's commitment to FoRB for all in a number of international meetings in November 2020, speaking at the Ministerial to Advance FoRB and the Ministers' Forum of the Alliance. On 20 December 2020, the Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to FoRB by appointing Fiona Bruce MP as his Special Envoy for FoRB. Mrs Bruce represents the UK at meetings of the Alliance who work to advocate for the rights of individuals being discriminated against or persecuted on the basis of their faith or belief.

Sudan: Religious Freedom

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support freedom of religion in Sudan.

James Duddridge: We welcome the Government of Sudan's pledge to ensure that human rights and freedom of religion and belief are fully respected and commend progress, including legal reforms decriminalising apostasy, declaring Christmas a national holiday and lifting of public order laws that disproportionately affected Christian women. In addition we commend the reference to freedom of religion or belief as part of the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA), including the intention to establish an independent commission for religious freedom in Sudan. However, long-standing human rights issues remain and it will take time for these commitments to impact ordinary people as the country transitions to democracy and the JPA is implemented. The Foreign Secretary emphaised the need for progress on human rights reforms when he met Prime Minister Hamdok in Khartoum in January 2021. The UK also continues to work with the Government of Sudan, civil society and the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission Sudan (UNITAMS), to deliver further progress as part of our wider work to support human rights improvements. More broadly our Annual Human Rights Report sets out in detail the UK's approach to human rights priority countries, including Sudan, and the work we have undertaken to promote and protect human rights around world.

Ministry of Defence

Nuclear Submarines: Devonport Dockyard

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Integrated Review, published on 16 March 2021, when he plans the first retired Devonport-based nuclear submarine to be recycled.

Jeremy Quin: The Ministry of Defence is a responsible nuclear operator and remains committed to the cost effective, safe and secure full dismantling of our decommissioned nuclear submarines as soon as practicably possible. As set out in the United Kingdom’s future nuclear deterrent: the 2020 update to Parliament, progress continues with the delivery of this complex initiative, working closely with UK industry partners and the civil nuclear sector, supporting key engineering skills and nuclear expertise.

Department for Work and Pensions

Unemployment: West Midlands

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of unemployment amongst 16 to 35 year olds and (b) steps her Department is taking to reduce unemployment among that age group in (i) Birmingham, Edgbaston constituency, (ii) Birmingham and (iii) the West Midlands region.

Mims Davies: (a) The Department regularly publishes statistics on the Alternative Claimant Count, and these are available by age and local authority, region and constituency here:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html The ACC provides a measure of local levels of claimant unemployment over time and across areas back to 2013 (b) The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is committed to supporting everyone who has been affected by the unprecedented impact of Covid19 on the economy and the labour market. In July 2020 the Chancellor confirmed a Plan for Jobs, which placed DWP at the heart of providing significantly expanded employment support to people becoming newly unemployed and those falling in to long-term unemployment, investing £30bn nationally in a mix of measures to create, support and protect jobs. This included £2bn for the Kickstart scheme, £2.9bn for the Restart programme, funding to increase the number of JCP Work Coaches by 13,500 and a range of other measures focussed on boosting worksearch and skills.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2021 to Question 166490 on Social Security Benefits: Disability, what additional support her Department offers to people to ensure that their access needs are met.

Justin Tomlinson: It is recognised that there are occasions when reasonable adjustments need to be offered and put into place to support customers. In addition to services being available online, the facility for customers to make new claims by phone is available, face to face support in Jobcentres which can include the use of hearing loops and private rooms dependent upon the specific access needs of the customer. For face to face interviews, staff will work with the customer to find the right environment to meet with the customer, and where required translation services such as British Sign Language that will be arranged. Appointees can be nominated for customers who are unable to manage their claims independently, and can be either personal or corporate appointees. We will offer a home visit if the customer’s access need cannot be met after all other reasonable adjustments have been explored and deemed unsuitable. If the adjustment required relates to the provision of information, in practical terms this means putting contact arrangements in place via alternative channels e.g. email or providing forms and letters in accessible formats.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Hares: Poaching

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle hare poaching.

Rebecca Pow: The Government takes wildlife crime seriously and is committed to ensuring the protection wildlife legislation offers is effectively enforced. We recognise the problems and distress which poaching and hare coursing causes for local communities. We recognise the importance of preserving our iconic brown and mountain hare populations – and we are exploring a range of options to help drive their recovery across England. Poaching (including hare coursing) is already one of the UK's six wildlife crime priorities. Each wildlife crime priority has a delivery group to consider what action should be taken and develop a plan to prevent crime, gather intelligence on offences and enforce against it. The National Wildlife Crime Unit, funded partly by Defra and the Home Office, continues to support efforts to tackle poaching and hare coursing, assisting regional police forces in tackling these crimes by gathering and analysing intelligence, sharing this with the police and assisting police investigations. Hare poaching is illegal under the Game Acts (the Game Act 1832 and the Night Poaching Act 1828). Enforcement is an operational matter for the police, and it is for individual Chief Constables to determine how their resources are deployed.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of extending badger cull licences on the badger population in the UK.

Victoria Prentis: We recently consulted on the next phase of our bovine TB eradication strategy as part of our objective for TB-free status in England by 2038. The consultation, which closed on 24 March, included: i) proposals to stop issuing intensive cull licences for new areas after 2022 and could see new four-year licences, after two-years of culling, be revoked after a progress evaluation by the Chief Veterinary Officer.ii) proposals to restrict supplementary badger control licences to two years and to prohibit the issuing of new licences for areas licensed after 2020.iii) proposals to reduce the duration of badger cull licenses, rather than extending them. A Government response and next steps will be published in due course. Changes to the intensive and supplementary cull licences will be implemented by Natural England through revised guidance from Defra, which we also consulted on. Details can be found at https://consult.defra.gov.uk/bovine-tb-2020/eradication-of-btb-england/. As part of the licensing criteria, for intensive and supplementary badger control, Natural England sets minimum and maximum numbers of badgers to be removed. This is to ensure the badger control operations deliver disease reduction benefits without endangering the local badger population.

Pets: Tagging

James Daly: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the incorporation of Tuks Law and Gizmo’s Law into statute.

Victoria Prentis: This Government launched a public consultation on cat and dog microchipping and scanning in England which ended on 17 February 2021. The consultation asked for views on compulsory scanning of animal’s microchips prior to euthanasia (Tuk’s Law) and dead cats found by the roadside (Gizmo’s Legacy). The responses are currently being analysed and the Government will issue its response later this year.

Horses: Animal Welfare

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that tethered horses are given freedom to exercise off the tether for a reasonable period at least once a day.

Victoria Prentis: This country leads the way in animal welfare, including setting standards for horse welfare. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, all owners and keepers of horses must provide for the welfare needs of their animals. The statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids provides owners and keepers with general welfare information. The Code states that tethered horses require daily exercise and that tethering is not a suitable method of long-term management of an animal but may be useful as an exceptional short-term method of animal management. Whilst it is not an offence to breach the Code, if proceedings are brought against someone for a welfare offence under the 2006 Act, (including failing to tether a horse appropriately and ensuring that it’s welfare needs are met) it could be used as evidence in support of those proceedings. The equine welfare sector promotes good welfare practice through their respective websites and via social media e.g. National Equine Welfare Council’s compendium: http://www.newc.co.uk/advice/

Horses: Animal Welfare

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department takes to ensure that tethered horses are inspected regularly by their owners.

Victoria Prentis: This country leads the way in animal welfare, including setting standards for horse welfare. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, all owners and keepers of horses must provide for the welfare needs of their animals. The statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids provides owners and keepers with general welfare information. The Code states that when horses are tethered, the need for regular supervision is paramount and that tethered horses should be inspected no less frequently than every six hours during waking normal hours. Whilst it is not an offence to breach the Code, if proceedings are brought against someone for a welfare offence under the 2006 Act (including failing to tether a horse appropriately and ensuring that it’s welfare needs are met), it could be used as evidence in support of those proceedings. The equine welfare sector promotes good welfare practice through their respective websites and via social media e.g. National Equine Welfare Council’s compendium: http://www.newc.co.uk/advice/

Bivalve Molluscs: UK Trade with EU

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to use the arbitration mechanism in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement to resolve issues exporting live bivalve molluscs to European markets.

Victoria Prentis: Defra is working to find a resolution on this issue and we have been discussing with the EU and key partners. We have offered to provide reasonable additional reassurances to demonstrate shellfish health, on the understanding that the Commission recognises the existing high standards and history of UK-EU trade. Until we get this issue resolved, we will do all we can to help businesses adapt to the new trading conditions and access alternative markets. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement is still awaiting ratification by the European Parliament. The Agreement contains robust mechanisms that can be used by both parties to ensure that the trade and cooperation arrangements are implemented effectively. As a matter of course we will be monitoring such implementation and will use such mechanisms where appropriate.

Horses: Republic of Ireland

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many horses left the UK for the Republic of Ireland in each month from January 2020 to February 2021 inclusive.

Victoria Prentis: The number of equines exported from the UK to the Republic of Ireland from January 2020 to February 2021 are as follows: MonthTotal Number of EquinesJan 202188Feb 2021471 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has completed a report in Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) and has not identified any matching consignments of these imports for 2020. There are no records of movements for 2020. The UK, Republic of Ireland and France all formed the Tripartite Agreement and there was no requirement for certification and/or electronic moves to be recorded. From 1 January 2021, this agreement ceased and export health certification is required for all Equidae moves between the UK and Republic of Ireland. This data was extracted from the TRACES. TRACES is a European Commission system employed by EU member states to facilitate and record animal/animal product movements into and throughout the EU. This response has been compiled by APHA from data provided by third parties, and as such is reliant on the providers for the accuracy of the information.

Bees: Imports

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to minimise the risk of importing small hive beetle into the UK.

Rebecca Pow: Small hive beetle is an invasive, non-native pest which the Government recognises as presenting a serious threat to our honey bee population. We are working with the National Bee Unit, beekeepers and other stakeholders to stop this pest from entering the UK. We have an extensive surveillance programme in place for exotic pests. National Bee Unit inspectors currently conduct around 6,500 apiary inspections each year. Our Sentinel Apiary Programme ensures that there is enhanced surveillance at high-risk apiaries near ports and airports. Inspectors also provide training and guidance on pest recognition to beekeepers. Almost all imports of honey bees into the UK come from EU countries. In Europe, the only region where the presence of Small hive beetle has been confirmed is in the far south of Italy. Imports of honey bees from the affected region of Italy are currently prohibited.

Bees: Imports

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the risk to the health of domestic bee colonies of the importation of honey bees.

Rebecca Pow: The Government is committed to preventing pests and diseases reaching our borders. We are promoting biosecurity internationally, at UK borders and inland. Imports of honey bees are only accepted from approved countries, and are subject to rules relating to notification and health certification to ensure that imports are free of key pests and diseases. Post-import checks are also carried out, including follow-up inspections and laboratory testing for evidence of statutory controlled pests. These checks are done using a risk-based approach.

Hares: Poaching

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidents of hare poaching have been recorded in (a) South Yorkshire and (b) England since 2016.

Rebecca Pow: There is no requirement for the police to record incidents of hare poaching – it is a matter for individual police forces to decide whether and how they wish to do so. There is no national data on the number of hare poaching incidents in England.

Home Office

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Anthony Mangnall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of using isotope analysis to increase the transparency of textiles supply chains and help prevent modern slavery.

Anthony Mangnall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of using blockchain technology to increase the transparency of supply chains and help prevent modern slavery.

Victoria Atkins: The UK was the first country in the world to require businesses to report on the steps they have taken to tackle modern slavery. The landmark provision in section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires businesses, in all sectors, including the textiles industry, with a turnover of £36m or more to report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. To improve the quality and detail of reporting and accelerate action to prevent modern slavery, the Government has committed to strengthen the reporting requirements on businesses and to introduce financial penalties for those that fail to meet their obligations under section 54.The Government expects businesses to determine the most appropriate methods to assess and tackle modern slavery based on the nature of their operations and supply chains. We encourage businesses to be transparent about the instances or indicators of modern slavery and prioritise action based on risk, and where they can have most impact. Our guidance suggests that they should include the risk assessment and due diligence they undertook to prevent and tackle modern slavery in their modern slavery statements and demonstrate their progress by setting and reporting against clear targets.The Government regularly engages with businesses, civil society and industry experts in the sector to understand emerging best practice, evidence and innovations which might support businesses in their efforts to tackle modern slavery

Hate Crime: Educational Institutions

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hate crimes have been recorded at education institutions in each of the last 10 years.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support is available to young people to help them report a hate crime if they are a victim or witness of such a crime at college or at school.

Victoria Atkins: There is no place for racism and hatred in our education system. Schools and colleges have an important role in preparing children and young people for life in modern Britain. This involves supporting them to understand the society in which they are growing up and teaching about respect for other people and tolerance. The Government expects schools to take a strong stand against all forms of bullying and discrimination and tackling it at the earliest opportunity to prevent it from escalating, particularly given the impact it can have on pupils, both emotionally and physically. Schools should develop their own approaches for monitoring bullying and discriminatory incidents and exercise their own judgement as to what will work best for their circumstances. We expect schools to support pupils affected by hate crimes and bullying as necessary. The Government has continued to take action to support schools in this area. This work has included projects targeting bullying of particular groups, such as those with SEND and those who are victims of hate related bullying, along with a project to report bullying online. In extreme circumstances, where schools are concerned that an incident of bullying or discrimination may amount to a criminal offence, they should report this to the police. Victims may wish to seek contact from an organisation to provide them with support suitable to the victim’s needs. A list of such organisations can be found at the police-run True Vision website at the following link: https://www.report-it.org.uk/organisations_that_can_helpInformation on whether or not hate crime offences recorded by the police in England and Wales took place in educational institutions is not recorded centrally.

Hamas

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in (a) the EU, (b) the US, (c) Canada and (d) Israel on their classification of Hamas as a terror group in its entirety.

Kevin Foster: The UK Government does not routinely comment on intelligence matters.

Hamas

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department takes to distinguish between the military and political wings of Hamas; and if she will review her assessment of the functions of Hamas' Political Bureau.

Kevin Foster: The UK Government does not routinely comment on intelligence matters.While we work closely with our international partners in the global fight against terrorism, any executive action must be underpinned by intelligence which satisfies the UK’s criminal and statutory thresholds.

Asylum: Applications

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce applicant waiting times for decisions on asylum applications.

Kevin Foster: We are fixing a broken asylum system and creating a new one which will be fairer and firmer and compassionate towards those who need our help.There are several factors which contribute to the length of time to process asylum claims. In this context, we have developed a programme of work designed to transform the system.We have already made significant progress in prioritising cases with acute vulnerability and those in receipt of the greatest level of support, including Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children and are working to simplify and speed up decision making.We are continuing to develop existing and new technology to help build on recent improvements such as digital interviewing and move away from a paper-based system.

Immigration

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons her Department's Migration Statistics do not capture the number of applications (a) received, (b) granted and (c) rejected for visas under the adult dependent relative rule.

Kevin Foster: Home Office Migration Statistics capture data on a number of Adult Dependent Relative routes, which are grouped together with other routes under Family: Other (for immediate settlement) in our published data. This includes the number of applications received, granted and refused.However, not all Adult Dependent Relative applications are captured under the Adult Dependent Relative route, to capture accurate data would require a manual trawl of cases and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

Police: Harlow

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase the number of police officers in Harlow.

Kit Malthouse: The Government is committed to increasing the number of police officers in England and Wales by 20,000 by the end of March 2023. Essex Police was allocated 135 additional officers in the first year of the police uplift which covers the period to the end of March 2021. In 2020/21 the force received funding of £320.2m. As at 31 December 2020, Essex Police had recruited 101 additional officers. As announced in the Police Settlement 2021/22, Essex Police has been allocated 132 additional officers for year two of the Police Uplift Programme. Essex Police will receive funding of up to £339m in 2021/22, an increase of up to £18.8m since 2020/21. The deployment of these officers is an operational decision for the Chief Constable of Essex Police.

Airguns: Licensing

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the consultation on firearms safety, which closed on 16 February 2021 did not consider the registration or licensing of air weapons.

Kit Malthouse: The consultation on firearms safety proposed further measures on air weapons control following the earlier review of air weapons regulation in England and Wales. The consultation specifically sought views on the outcomes of that review, including strengthening legislation in relation to young persons, and the safe and secure storage of air weapons, with the aim of ensuring their safe and responsible use. The proposals in the consultation focused on improving air weapons safety, particularly in relation to children. The consultation also included further proposals relating to specific firearms safety issues that were raised during the passage of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019.

Greater Manchester Police

James Daly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support the improvement of Greater Manchester Police.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office, alongside its policing partners, continues to provide Greater Manchester Police with the support it requires through HMICFRS’s Policing Performance Oversight Group. Ministers are committed to supporting the force’s improvement and are paying close attention to its progress.Greater Manchester Police’s funding will increase by up to £35.1m in 2021/22.As at December 2020, the force has also recruited 266 additional officers through our Police Uplift Programme, with a further allocation of 325 officers to be recruited by March 2022. In addition, there is a year 2 uplift allocation of 16 officers to the force to support growth in Regional Organised Crime Units.

Criminal Investigation

James Daly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to take steps to reform the use of Release Under Investigation.

Kit Malthouse: The Government is aware of the issues around the process of Released Under Investigation (RUI) and the impact this can have on both suspects and victims. Following a public consultation on pre-charge bail, ending in May 2020, the Government is now seeking to introduce significant reforms through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.While RUI is not a process set out in legislation, the reforms in the Bill will help limit its usage by creating a pre-charge bail system that works better for the police, victims and suspects. This includes the removal of the perceived presumption against pre-charge bail and the creation of a new duty to seek the views of alleged victims before releasing suspects on pre-charge bail, where it is necessary and proportionate to do so.Alongside this change, the Government has established a new power for the College of Policing in the Bill to issue national statutory guidance on pre-charge bail which will help address the use of Released Under Investigation. We will also be monitoring forces closely with an enhanced data collection on use pre-charge bail and RUI in the future.

Aviation: Coronavirus

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on ensuring that the use of private planes during the covid-19 pandemic has not been in breach of international travel restrictions.

Kit Malthouse: We keep all of our measures, including arrivals to the UK by any mode, under constant review and we are ready to strengthen our border policy where appropriate to protect public health.All persons arriving in the UK (with a few exemptions for certain occupations), wherever they are coming from, are required to show proof of a negative Covid test taken in the last 72 hours, complete a Passenger Locator Form, and to isolate for 10 days on arrival. This applies to those travelling to the UK on private flights (General Aviation) as well as scheduled flights, ferries and trains.On 24 December 2020, we introduced travel bans on all arrivals from South Africa, later extending the ban to what is currently 35 countries, sometimes called “red-list” countries. No direct flights are allowed from these countries including via General Aviation. Furthermore, we look to refuse entry to non-UK residents who have been in one of these countries in the last 10 days. Passengers who have been in or through any of the “red-list” countries and cannot be refused entry must quarantine in a managed quarantine hotel further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transport-measures-to-protect-the-uk-from-variant-strains-of-covid-19More information regarding travelling to the UK can be found at https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control/before-you-leave-for-the-uk

Undocumented Migrants: Employment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to use data collected through the Windrush Compensation Scheme to make an assessment of the revenue lost from taxation as a result of prohibiting undocumented migrants from taking up employment.

Priti Patel: None. The data collected through the Windrush Compensation Scheme relate to people who have status in the UK with the right to work rather than undocumented migrants without status.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Leasehold: Repairs and Maintenance

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to improve leaseholders’ access to redress in cases where reported longstanding disrepair has not been adequately addressed.

Eddie Hughes: Currently leaseholders’ access to redress depends on who manages their property. Leaseholders living in properties being managed by managing agents and those by housing associations or local authorities already have existing routes for redress including complaints procedures and government-recognised redress schemes. There is a gap in redress for leaseholders where their freeholder does not employ a managing agent and carries out their own property management on their leasehold property. In such circumstances, the freeholder is not required to sign up to a redress scheme. The Government intends to require freeholders of leasehold properties who do not employ a managing agent to join a redress scheme and will bring forward legislation when parliamentary time allows.In summer 2019 the Department also established the Redress Reform Working Group to help improve redress across the housing market and consider a Housing Complaints Resolution Service. Work was paused to prioritise the response to the pandemic but we continue to work on improving redress and meet with members of the Redress Reform Working Group.

Homelessness: Females

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether women recorded as staying in women-only shelters are counted towards the total homelessness figure for England.

Eddie Hughes: Tackling homelessness and rough sleeping in all its forms is a key priority for this Government and we have taken unprecedented steps this year, working with local authorities and their partners to protect vulnerable rough sleepers during the pandemic. The ‘Everyone In’ campaign has supported over 37,000 people with over 11,000 in emergency accommodation and over 26,000 already moved on into longer-term accommodation.We do not have a breakdown of the number of women recorded as staying in women-only shelters within the homelessness case level collection (H-CLIC) data in England.At the Budget the Chancellor announced £4.2 million for MHCLG to trial ‘Respite Rooms’ across the country. The Respite Rooms programme will provide support to vulnerable homeless women affected by violence and abuse who need specialist support to enable them to better engage with, and be ready for, domestic abuse safe accommodation including refuge.

Property Development: Regulation

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the existing regulatory mechanisms for (a) property managers and (b) developers of leasehold properties.

Eddie Hughes: The Government is committed to ensuring that those living in the leasehold sector are protected from abuse and poor service. We believe that service charges and fees should be transparent and communicated effectively, and that there should be a clear route to challenge or redress if things go wrong. We established an independent working group on regulation of property agents, chaired by Lord Best, to raise professionalism and standards across the sector. The working group published its final report to Government (see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulation-of-property-agents-working-group-report) and we are considering the report’s recommendations.The Government is bringing forward fundamental changes to the building regulatory regime through the Building Safety Bill. This includes establishing a new regulator which will have oversight of the whole built environment; and improve building and fire safety, so that people will be, and will feel, safer in their homes. There will be tougher sanctions for those that fail to meet their obligations. We will place a duty of competence for carrying out design and building work across all buildings and require developers to belong to the New Homes Ombudsman to resolve disputes when things go wrong.

Tenants' Rights: Business Premises

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to strengthen tenants' rights with respect to private commercial landlords’ optional participation in alternative dispute resolution schemes.

Eddie Hughes: The Government has announced the measures in place to protect commercial tenants from eviction and forms of insolvency and debt recovery are extended to 30 June 2021.This is supported by the Code of Conduct published by the Government last year, setting out best practice for these negotiations.We will shortly be launching a Call for Evidence on commercial rents to help monitor the overall progress of negotiations between tenants and landlords.

Leasehold: Service Charges

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what requirements are placed on freeholders to ensure transparency in the calculation of ground rent, service charges and other ancillary fees for leaseholders.

Eddie Hughes: The Government has set out a package of measures to tackle unfair practices in the leasehold market and promote transparency and fairness for both leaseholders and freeholders.We believe very strongly that service charges and fees should be transparent and communicated effectively, and that there should be a clear route to challenge or redress if things go wrong. We established an independent working group, chaired by Lord Best, to raise professionalism and standards across the property agent sector, which also considered how fees such as service charges should be presented to consumers. The working group published its final report to Government (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulation-of-property-agents-working-group-report) and we are considering the report’s recommendations.The Government asked the CMA to conduct an investigation into potential mis-selling of homes and unfair terms in the leasehold sector. On 19 March, the CMA announced that it is requiring the removal of ground rent terms which it thinks are unfair from all existing Countryside and Taylor Wimpey contracts to make sure they are no longer in breach of the law. The companies must also agree not to use the terms again in any future leasehold contracts. The Government strongly welcomes the CMA’s efforts to bring justice to homeowners affected by unfair practices. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/leasehold).The Government has committed to restricting ground rents for newly created leases for both houses and flats to a peppercorn (zero financial value). This will ensure that homeowners in new leasehold properties are not charged a financial sum for which they receive no tangible benefit.We will bring forward legislation in the upcoming session to set ground rents on newly created leases to zero. This will be the first part of seminal two-part legislation to implement reforms in this Parliament.

Housing: Complaints

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to establish the Housing Complaints Resolution Service proposed in January 2019.

Eddie Hughes: In summer 2019 the Department established the Redress Reform Working Group to help improve redress across the housing market and consider a Housing Complaints Resolution Service. Work was paused to prioritise the response to the pandemic but we continue to work on improving redress and meet with members of the Redress Reform Working Group.

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Procurement

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to incorporate workplace rights and protections into Government procurement policy.

Julia Lopez: Regulation 32 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 sets out the grounds in which contracting authorities can procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances. In our recently published Green Paper, we have set out our proposals to clarify these rules, learning from the experience in the pandemic. The process of implementing the Boardman recommendations began immediately, and the programme is being assured by the Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee. We committed to provide an update on implementation six months after publication. All G-Cloud suppliers must publicly show their security certifications, standards and approach to personnel security on the Digital Marketplace. Suppliers must also maintain physical and IT security that follows good industry practice to ensure there is no unauthorised access to any confidential information and data. Along with this, suppliers must inform Crown Commercial Service of any data breaches within 48 hours and Crown Commercial Service has the power to undertake security audits of suppliers. Transforming Government Procurement will make it easier to take into account issues relating to workplace rights and protections through aligning the value for money definition with that of the Green Book, and removing in certain circumstances the need for wider policy considerations to be linked to the subject matter of the contract.

Veterans: Asbestos

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the number of veterans that have developed lung cancer as a result of their exposure to asbestos.

Johnny Mercer: As I stated in my answer given to the hon. Member on 11 January 2021, the MOD’s Health Safety and Environmental Protection directorate, alongside the Defence People function will work with the Office for Veterans’ Affairs to explore potential health issues related to exposure to asbestos during service, and to continue to coordinate MOD's asbestos management approach. Claims for compensation in respect of injuries or illnesses arising as a result of service can be made by veterans through the Ministry of Defence.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: Digital Technology

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Board of Trade’s Global Britain, Local Jobs report, what steps her Department is taking through its trade agreements to reduce the risk of regulatory divergence in relation to data and digital services.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to page 25 of the Board of Trade’s Global Britain, Local Jobs report, what current UK regulations she has assessed (a) are not proportionate or (b) place too large an impact on the ease of doing business.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to page 24 of the Board of Trade’s Global Britain, Local Jobs report, in which of the Free Trade Agreements covering 66 countries negotiated by her Department have tariff reductions been expanded for key UK industries.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to page 24 of the Board of Trade’s Global Britain, Local Jobs report, whether each tariff reduction previously available to key UK industries was maintained in the Free Trade Agreements covering 66 countries negotiated by her Department.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Board of Trade’s Global Britain, Local Jobs report, how her Department defines key industries.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Board of Trade’s Global Britain, Local Jobs report, what assessment she has made of whether the UK-Japan CEPA helped to level up the UK; and how her Department made that assessment.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, for what reason the Board of Trade’s Global Britain, Local Jobs report did not include the role that freeports will play in contributing to her Department’s strategy; and if she will publish an addendum on this subject in light of the announcements in the Chancellor’s Budget statement on 3 March 2021.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to her Department's Analysis Paper: Local Jobs, Trade and Investment, what assessment she has made of the extent to which the figures on the number of employees employed in nationally export intensive sectors enable an accurate assessment of (a) how export intensive jobs are at the constituency level and (b) how many jobs are supported by exports at the constituency level.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to her Department's Analysis Paper: Local Jobs, Trade and Investment, whether the figures on the number of employees employed in nationally export intensive sectors are planned to be used to inform the offensive interests of UK trade policy.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: HM Government is grateful to the Board of Trade for its thought leadership on trade policy. The Rt Hon. Lady will know from reading the Global Britain, Local Jobs report that there are benefits for the British people – in every corner of the country – from an ambitious trade agenda. We are proud to have secured trade deals with 66 countries, plus the EU. These agreements provide a strong foundation for our trading relationships, covering trade worth £890 billion in 2019, but do not represent the limit of our ambition. We will seek to improve upon these to maximise trading opportunities. HM Government will make sure digital markets are opened by reducing barriers to the flow of data, whilst maintaining high standards of protection. We will reduce regulatory divergence by securing commitments through Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, the WTO E-Commerce Joint Initiative negotiations, and the United Kingdom’s G7 Presidency. It is important that all regulations are proportionate and not trade-distorting. We will bring down non-tariff barriers through trade negotiations so that safe goods and services from the United Kingdom can be sold into new markets freely. The Board of Trade report defines “key industries” as those parts of the economy with the greatest chances to increase their exports, thanks to trade policy and trade promotion interventions. HM Government agrees with the Board of Trade that trade agreements can deliver opportunities nationwide, and is considering how to add the data from this cutting-edge research into our policy. The Rt Hon. Lady will know that the Department for International Trade (DIT) has already published an impact assessment for the FTA with Japan, setting out the potential impacts on every part of the United Kingdom.[1] The Board of Trade’s report focuses on the next international steps our nation can take. Domestic policy, including ‘freeports’, is not explored in the report. Neither the Board of Trade nor HM Government intend to publish an addendum to this report. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-japan-cepa-final-impact-assessment.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Football Index: Public Inquiries

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will support a public inquiry into Football Index.

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to respond to the collapse of Football Index.

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Department has had with the Gambling Commission in response to the suspension of Football Index’s licence.

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Department has had with the Gambling Commission on why traders were allowed to continue depositing funds with Football Index until just before trading was suspended on that platform and the notice of administration was released on 11 March 2021.

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of any steps that were taken to protect deposited funds with Football Index whilst the Gambling Commission’s section 116 review was taking place.

Mr John Whittingdale: The Gambling Commission has suspended the licence of BetIndex Ltd, the operators of Football Index, and a live investigation is ongoing. The Secretary of State and I have met the Gambling Commission twice to receive urgent reports and are monitoring the situation very closely. Further information, including an update on the status of customer funds, can be found on the Commission’s website: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news-action-and-statistics/news/2021/BetIndex-update.aspxIt is a condition of a gambling operating licence that customers should be able to withdraw funds from their accounts. The Commission acted to suspend BetIndex’s licence on learning that the operator planned to freeze access to funds. Operators who hold customer funds must tell customers whether funds are protected in event of insolvency and the level of the protection offered. Football Index provides a medium level of customer funds protection, which means customer funds are kept in accounts separate from business accounts, and arrangements are made to ensure assets in the customer accounts are distributed to customers in the event of insolvency. The government has launched a Review of the Gambling Act 2005 and has called for evidence on a range of issues across the sector, including the powers and resources of the Gambling Commission. The call for evidence closes on 31 March, and we will be led by the evidence received.

UK Youth Parliament: Finance

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons the funding for the UK Youth Parliament has been reduced; and if he will make a statement.

Matt Warman: HM Government’s core funding for the UK Youth Parliament in 21/22 remains at the same level as the previous two years. Additional funding has been made available in 21/22 to continue enabling UK-wide participation in this programme.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to his Department's press release, Government launches new £5 billion Project Gigabit, published on 19 March 2021, what the maximum sum available is per contract for broadband providers as part of that project; what criteria  must be met by broadband providers to be eligible to receive a contract as part of that project; and if he will publish the process and outline the levels of oversight provided for contract procurement as part of that project.

Matt Warman: The funding allocation for each project will be determined following the Open Market Review and Public Review for the relevant area, which will be used to identify the premises eligible for subsidy.Information on the proposed approach to the procurement process is available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/resources-for-communications-network-providers#project-gigabit. Further information on the pipeline of procurements will be published in the next update on the programme in June 2021. We will follow Public Contracting Regulations 2015 for all procurements and will be subject to departmental and government wide governance and assurance. Details of the requirements to be met by broadband bidders will be published at the start of each procurement process. We will publish the contract in line with government policy.

Tourism: West Yorkshire

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department will take to ensure that the tourism industry in (a) Wakefield and (b) West Yorkshire complies with covid-19 rules as the lockdown is eased.

Nigel Huddleston: My Department will continue to provide guidance and support to tourism businesses across England to ensure that they can comply with COVID-19 restrictions.The Government’s COVID-19 Secure guidance for hotels and guest accommodation and the visitor economy will be kept up to date over the coming months, in line with the reopening process for the sector. We have also worked with industry bodies like UKHospitality and the Association of Event Organisers during the pandemic to produce more detailed sub-sector specific guidance.We will continue to provide guidance and assurance regarding when people can safely go on holiday - as demonstrated through initiatives such as VisitBritain’s ‘Good to Go’ COVID-19 secure industry standard, now in use by over 44,000 tourism businesses across the UK.

Tourism: West Yorkshire

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department plans to take to increase the level of tourism to (a) Wakefield and (b) West Yorkshire once covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Nigel Huddleston: My Department plans to take a number of steps to encourage tourism in all regions following the easing of restrictions. The Global Travel Taskforce last year committed the Government to publish a Tourism Recovery Plan in support of the sector. The Government intends to set out proposals in the Spring, including plans for a marketing campaign to welcome visitors back to the UK as soon as it is safe to do so. The recently announced £56 million Welcome Back Fund will help councils improve green spaces, provide more outdoor seating areas and support tourism’s reopening this summer.When holidays are permitted again, we will work with VisitBritain, VisitEngland and local partners to champion the UK’s diverse tourism offer once again - just as we did with last year’s Enjoy Summer Safely and Escape The Everyday campaigns.